LEXINGTON, Va. – The Westminster College women's tennis team won its first ever NCAA championship match, 5-1, over Hanover College in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship on Friday. Washington & Lee University is hosting the first, second, and third rounds.
The win is also the first for a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) member in the Division III Championship since 2010.
The doubles pairing of juniors Mariah Turiano and Sydney Sterner defeated Hanover's Tori Schwartz and Alana Feeley 8-5 at first doubles, while junior Christijana Vucenovic and sophomore Patricia Pivaronas posted an 8-4 win at third doubles over Ruth Gaston and Kelly Gehlbach.
Sterner defeated Schwartz 6-2, 6-2 at second singles, while junior Stephanie Homitz earned a 6-0, 6-3 win over Gaston at fifth singles. Turiano's 6-4, 6-0 win over Feeley at fourth singles sealed the win for the Titans.
This is the Titans' second appearance in the Division III Championship, as they made the program's first-ever trip to the national championships in 2013 after winning the PAC title. Overall, Westminster has won three PAC titles in school history – the Titans won the league championship outright in 2013 after sharing the team title in 2012; the Titans were co-conference champions in 2015.
